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Inside George W. Bush's Closet

This is an insightful, historical look at the previous presidential administration and their handling of same-sex couples wanting marriage. It's one in which you can feel sympathy for some who had worked for President George W. Bush. But, it can also be looked at as the sad delusions of those who didn't need sympathy but rather antipathy. Read Thomas J. Burger's article, "Inside George W. Bush's Closet," and decide for yourself. —CoolBlue71

It was a slap in the face.” Steven Levine is remembering that day in 2006 when President George W. Bush took the stage in a small-town school gym in Indiana. It was October 28, right before the midterm elections, and Levine was a 22-year-old White House advance aide. He’d been camped out in Sellersburg all week, working to get the details just right for Bush’s campaign rally. The flags hung just so, the big presidential seal on the podium. Then Bush started talking, his standard stump speech about taxes and supporting the troops. But a new applause line took Levine by surprise. “Just this week in New Jersey,” the president said, “another activist court issued a ruling that raises doubt about the institution of marriage. We believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman, and should be defended. I will continue to appoint judges who strictly interpret the law and not legislate from the bench.”

The crowd loved it. Levine was crushed.

He was gay and working for a Republican and convinced it was possible to be both at the same time.

Like dozens of other gay colleagues in the Bush White House, many of them closeted, Levine had been sure that Bush himself was personally tolerant even if the GOP was not—and uncomfortable with gay-bashing as a way to win elections. But this was a rebuff, and it was hard not to take it personally: “To be working extraordinarily hard with all of your energy, working through many nights for somebody that you believe in, and to hear that person that you work so hard for come out against something that you are.”

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

They were gay men who decided to be loyal to the Republican Party. President George W. Bush's speechwriter was gay and he even wrote Bush's remarks pushing a federal ban on all gay marriages.

McConnell matter-of-factly told me he likely helped write Bush’s 2004 remarks endorsing the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Even now the gay speechwriter defends that course. “I believed the president was taking a principled position, and the words he spoke on that issue were always reasonable and tolerant. That hasn’t always been the spirit of the debate, but it’s always been the spirit of George W. Bush. There was never a day I wasn’t proud of him and the vice president."

But were the real villains really the liberals? Mike Rogers wanted to out all of the gay Republicans in GWB's White House. And he outed one of the RNC gay staffmembers by publishing naked pictures of the RNC staffmember on a gay hookup site.

After the election, [Gurley] was up for several senior Bush administration jobs. Then Rogers, the blogger on a mission to out, posted a screen shot of Gurley’s racy profile from a gay dating website. If no one thought twice about Gurley being gay before, his prospective new bosses did mind the details of his profile once Rogers made it public.

The Rogers post “knocked me out of going into the administration,” Gurley says, “and they told me that.” The news came in a phone call from a top Republican official in the spring of 2005. “They were honest. They said, ‘Hey, we don’t care about the gay thing. But what we do care about is controversy.’"

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

^ It's funny how JayQueer completely disappeared from commentary when the GOP Texas was enshrining reparative therapy into their party platform, and the Republican gays cowered from the fight because they were afraid their fellow Republicans would retaliate and put even more harsh language against homosexuals.

Then he makes the bullshit claim that liberals are the real villains against LGBT equality.

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

If you are a gay conservative who strongly believes in the conservative ideals, it really is a tough choice; stay with the party that despises you but otherwise believes in the what you do or leave it for a third party that (not my opinion) can never win or the Democrats who stand for nothing you do. The closest example I can think of is being a gay American in 50s. You support the USA with all your heart and soul but the country would reject and ridicule you if your sexuality was public, but you don't leave the country for another more tolerating. So you stay and hope that given time and effort things will change for the better. Many gay Christians and Muslims find themselves in the same place.

“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud, His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat.” Mitt Romney

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

^ Not ture.

The American conservative party is the Democratic Party. If you study the conservative parties of Europe, their platforms closely align with our Democratic Party. America has no liberal party. We have right wing and crazy.

There is nothing "conservative" about Republicans. They are a uniquely American party of the religious right.They are the party of big government, massive spending and deficits, and war. They advocate the forced imposition of fundamentalist Christian thought on the entire population. There is nothing "conservative" about Republicans.

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Originally Posted by T-Rexx

^ Not ture.

The American conservative party is the Democratic Party. If you study the conservative parties of Europe, their platforms closely align with our Democratic Party. America has no liberal party. We have right wing and crazy.

There is nothing "conservative" about Republicans. They are a uniquely American party of the religious right.They are the party of big government, massive spending and deficits, and war. They advocate the forced imposition of fundamentalist Christian thought on the entire population. There is nothing "conservative" about Republicans.

So absolutely nobody could possibly disagree with you on what is a conservative and think differently? This point has no bearing on these people and what THEY believe except perhaps to say that you think they are misguided, a lot of people including their fellow Republicans would agree. It doesn't change their situation. This isn't a discussion of what is or is not conservative.

“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud, His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat.” Mitt Romney

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

What is astounding is the number of gay men (seemingly all white men) within the GWB administration who worked to support their own demise.

It is difficult to understand.

I assume these people believe the suppression of immigrants, blacks, and poor people to be more important to the nation than their own liberty.

Your last sentence shows why you do not understand them.

“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud, His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat.” Mitt Romney

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Originally Posted by Stardreamer

So absolutely nobody could possibly disagree with you on what is a conservative and think differently? This point has no bearing on these people and what THEY believe except perhaps to say that you think they are misguided, a lot of people including their fellow Republicans would agree. It doesn't change their situation. This isn't a discussion of what is or is not conservative.

Nonsense.

You said "If you are a gay conservative who strongly believes in the conservative ideals, it really is a tough choice..."

What you meant is that "if you are a gay fundamentalist Christian who believes in fundamentalist Christianity, it is really a tough choice." And that is true. If you are a gay conservative, you vote Democratic.

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Originally Posted by T-Rexx

Nonsense.

You said "If you are a gay conservative who strongly believes in the conservative ideals, it really is a tough choice..."

What you meant is that "if you are a gay fundamentalist Christian who believes in fundamentalist Christianity, it is really a tough choice." And that is true. If you are a gay conservative, you vote Democratic.

*Laughs* Fine go down that rabbit hole if you want to but it I'm not following you, its not the subject.

“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud, His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat.” Mitt Romney

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Of course it's the subject.

The question is why so many gay white males would support a party that believes they should be denied rights as human beings. You believe it is because these gays value massive deficit spending, big governemnt, and war over balanced budgets, peace, and their own rights as human beings.

I think that the fact that these gays are overwhelming white males says a lot. These guys were not supporting Bush because he advocated big governement and massive deficits. They had other motiviations.

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Originally Posted by T-Rexx

Of course it's the subject.

The question is why so many gay white males would support a party that believes they should be denied rights as human beings. You believe it is because these gays value massive deficit spending, big governemnt, and war over balanced budgets, peace, and their own rights as human beings.

I think that the fact that these gays are overwhelming white males says a lot. These guys were not supporting Bush because he advocated big governement and massive deficits. They had other motiviations.

What makes it really ironic is that is what Republicans would say Democrats value.

“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud, His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat.” Mitt Romney

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Originally Posted by Just_Believe18

^ It's funny how JayQueer completely disappeared from commentary when the GOP Texas was enshrining reparative therapy into their party platform, and the Republican gays cowered from the fight because they were afraid their fellow Republicans would retaliate and put even more harsh language against homosexuals.

Then he makes the bullshit claim that liberals are the real villains against LGBT equality.

Quoted for truth.

Another disinformation post from one of the Republicon flacks that must be getting paid to spin, spin, spin.

Even Jqueer has to admit though, that the GOP/Tea Party brand is so damaged in the homo community that it will be a complete waste of their time to even try to paint rainbow colours on their tent.

And of course...always with the Jqueer....it becomes about how good looking his Kapos are.

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

They were honest. They said, ‘Hey, we don’t care about the gay thing. But what we do care about is controversy.’"

This just shows Bush was a tool. What he really thought didn't matter; he was driven by his handlers who were driven by the polls and by the money men.

"Thirty-one* states allow all qualified citizens to carry concealed weapons. In those states, homosexuals should embark on organized efforts to become comfortable with guns, learn to use them safely and carry them. They should set up Pink Pistols task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry. And they should do it in a way that gets as much publicity as possible. "

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Originally Posted by Stardreamer

What makes it really ironic is that is what Republicans would say Democrats value.

Yeah, of course that's what Republicans would say.

Republicans also say that Obama was born in Kenya, that global climate change is a conspiracy of all of the world's climate scientists, that evolution is a centuries-old conspiracy of the world's biologists, and that gay marriage will cause straight people to divorce.

Republicans have a problem grasping reality. That's the point here. They keep claiming they are "conservative" when almost nothing about their actions in office has anything whatsoever to do with conservatism. Republicans are the religious party of the right. They believe in big government, massive deficit spending, and social engineering intended to bring about a utopia for straight, white, rich, male, fundamentalist Christians. The closest thing America has to a conservative party is the Democratic Party.

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Not going to down that rabbit hole man.

So if you believe in big government, massive deficit spending, and social engineering intended to bring about a utopia and you honestly believe that approach is important for the success of the country, do you stick with that party even though they are opposed to gay rights or do you switch to a party whose beliefs you think are going to destroy the country but will accept you as gay? Assuming that you are a highly politically motivated person and just opting out or going to a 'useless' third party is not an option.

“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud, His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat.” Mitt Romney

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Originally Posted by Stardreamer

What makes it really ironic is that is what Republicans would say Democrats value.

And both sides have good arguments for saying so.

The trouble is when you quit with those arguments and don't look at the bigger picture. In the bigger picture, what both Democrats and Republicans -- the ones who count -- value is the flow of money from the wealthy and corporations. That's why both can make the same accusations at each other and have good arguments for saying so: both Democrats and Republicans act in favor of those who suppl them -- the politicians -- with money.

The irony is that we continue to think of them as two different parties.

"Thirty-one* states allow all qualified citizens to carry concealed weapons. In those states, homosexuals should embark on organized efforts to become comfortable with guns, learn to use them safely and carry them. They should set up Pink Pistols task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry. And they should do it in a way that gets as much publicity as possible. "

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Originally Posted by Stardreamer

Not going to down that rabbit hole man.

So if you believe in big government, massive deficit spending, and social engineering intended to bring about a utopia and you honestly believe that approach is important for the success of the country, do you stick with that party even though they are opposed to gay rights or do you switch to a party whose beliefs you think are going to destroy the country but will accept you as gay? Assuming that you are a highly politically motivated person and just opting out or going to a 'useless' third party is not an option.

Well said.

"Thirty-one* states allow all qualified citizens to carry concealed weapons. In those states, homosexuals should embark on organized efforts to become comfortable with guns, learn to use them safely and carry them. They should set up Pink Pistols task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry. And they should do it in a way that gets as much publicity as possible. "

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Originally Posted by Stardreamer

If you are a gay conservative who strongly believes in the conservative ideals, it really is a tough choice; stay with the party that despises you but otherwise believes in the what you do or leave it for a third party that (not my opinion) can never win or the Democrats who stand for nothing you do. The closest example I can think of is being a gay American in 50s. You support the USA with all your heart and soul but the country would reject and ridicule you if your sexuality was public, but you don't leave the country for another more tolerating. So you stay and hope that given time and effort things will change for the better. Many gay Christians and Muslims find themselves in the same place.

The tension here, of course, is a political party's stand stand on social issues. Unfortunately, these cannot be parsed out from other issues one might care about, as smaller government, states' rights, fiscal responsibility and lower taxes. The intersection of these and same gender sex, human rights and marriage is not necessarily an obvious linkage. However, hating run away government spending and hating faggots appeals to the same demographic. If one can never find a reason not to be proud of Messrs. (GW) Bush and Cheney, that speaks to a lack of insight that transcends any questions of self worth. For most folks, if we are part of an organization that hates us, works against our civil and constitutional rights and devalues us as people solely for who and how we love, the choice between supporting them and valuing ourselves should not leave us at all conflicted. Admittedly, I have no experience being a conservative or a Republican, but I was once Catholic and leaving that behind was for me an act of self love.

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

^
And that is why a two-party system is inherently undemocratic: it doesn't allow voters to elect people who stand for all their views, but imposes gut-wrenching decisions no matter which way they choose, with the result that they have no choice but to vote for people who fight for things they oppose.

"Thirty-one* states allow all qualified citizens to carry concealed weapons. In those states, homosexuals should embark on organized efforts to become comfortable with guns, learn to use them safely and carry them. They should set up Pink Pistols task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry. And they should do it in a way that gets as much publicity as possible. "

Re: Inside George W. Bush's Closet

Originally Posted by Stardreamer

Not going to down that rabbit hole man.

So if you believe in big government, massive deficit spending, and social engineering intended to bring about a utopia and you honestly believe that approach is important for the success of the country, do you stick with that party even though they are opposed to gay rights or do you switch to a party whose beliefs you think are going to destroy the country but will accept you as gay? Assuming that you are a highly politically motivated person and just opting out or going to a 'useless' third party is not an option.

Do you know any Republicans who actually say that? That they believe in big government, massive deficit spending, and social engineering intended to bring about a utopia for rich, white, straight, male, fundamentalist Christians? Obviously, if that is what you believe, then you should vote Republican.

And that is precisely the point. The gays in the GWB administration were supporting Bush because they held those values. With rare exception, they were rich, white, male, and Christian. The only thing they lacked was the necessary straightness. But they were willing to overlook that problem because they believed so strongly in GWB's vision for America.

But you said, "If you are a gay conservative who strongly believes in the conservative ideals, it really is a tough choice..." That is the mistake. If you are a gay conservative, you should vote Democratic. If you are a gay who believes in Republicanism, then you should vote Republican.